Seabourn Encore readies for her luxury debut

There’s something oddly satisfying about sailing on a brand-new cruise ship. Like cars, ships have an alluring “new ship” smell. They also represent the latest in innovation, not just technically speaking but also in terms of creature comforts.

Seattle-based luxury line Seabourn is hard at work preparing its newest ship, Seabourn Encore, for delivery. Unlike most new ships that typically launch during the spring and summer months, the 604-guest Seabourn Encore will make her debut in December of this year — and there’s still spaces to be had on her maiden season.

On Dec. 4, 2016, Seabourn Encore will set sail from Piraeus, the port for Athens, on her very first revenue cruise. Here again, Seabourn bucks the trend, creating a voyage that is as unique as the ship itself: a 10-day journey through the Suez Canal to Dubai, with calls on Agios Nikolaos, Greece; Haifa and Ashdod, Israel; Aqaba, Jordan; and Muscat, Oman.

This isn’t her maiden voyage as such. In fact, the December 4 departure (along with the December 20 “Holiday Jewels of Arabia and India”), are technically Seabourn Encore’s “preview” cruises. A gala naming ceremony in Singapore on Jan. 7, 2017 will officially welcome the ship into service. Guests will then embark on a 10-day cruise through Southeast Asia, with stops in Surabaya, Java; Celukan Bawang, Bali; and Slawi Bay, Komodo, Indonesia, en-route to Bali.

That particular voyage, however, sold out in just two days after it went on sale last year. If you’re interested in doing the same itinerary, good news: there’s still some spaces left on the March 22, 2017 voyage, which re-traces a similar journey from Bali to Singapore.

“We’re excited to offer a diverse range of itineraries for the maiden season of Seabourn Encore and provide our guests with the opportunities to visit some of the most charming and sought-after destinations in Asia, Australia and New Zealand on the world’s newest and most beautiful ultra-luxury ship,” said Seabourn president Richard Meadows. “Seabourn Encore will set a new standard of ultra-luxury cruising that can only be found on Seabourn, and we can’t wait to share her with our guests.”

Seabourn Encore will spend the remainder of the winter months operating a series of 16-day voyages around the Pacific Rim in Australia and New Zealand. The ship will visit popular ports including Sydney, Auckland and Wellington, along with lesser-known locales like New Zealand’s southernmost city, Oban on Stewart Island, and the charming port of Picton, the gateway to the stunning scenery of Marlborough Sound.

Seabourn Encore returns to Europe in April of 2017, where she will spend the summer months cruising the Mediterranean.

Although she looks like a sister to the line’s existing Seabourn Odyssey, Sojourn and Quest, Seabourn Encore is very different. She’s the largest ship the line has ever built at 40,350 tons, and has an additional deck and completely reconfigured public spaces compared to her sisters.

Noted hospitality design icon Adam D. Tihany is responsible for designing the ship’s interior and exterior areas. Like the rest of Seabourn’s fleet, these luxury spaces are notable for their contemporary and inviting appearance, and for their use of rounded edges and curving surfaces. Tihany noted that Seabourn guests sail with the line for weeks — even months at a time — and took great pains to create individually pleasing public spaces that heighten the sense of discovery as guests move about the ship.

Seabourn is an all-inclusive luxury cruise line, and nowhere is that more apparent than in the design of the company’s suites. All accommodations onboard are suites, and every single one features its own private veranda. Even standard suites include walk-in closets, a pillow menu, personalized stationery, an umbrella, a world atlas, and the services of a personal suite stewardess (like a butler, but without the stuffy designation), who welcomes guests with champagne and canapés, offers up a selection of in-room toiletries (Molton Brown comes standard), assists with special requests, or even draws up one of Seabourn’s Pure Pampering baths.

A sister, Seabourn Ovation, sets sail in 2018. Itineraries for that one haven’t been released yet, but you can bet they’ll go every bit as quickly as Seabourn Encore’s maiden voyage.